Even better, the long-awaited uptick in worker wages might be in the offing. The yearly increase in hourly pay rose to a nine-year high of 2.9%, though it may have been exaggerated by temporary factors.

What they are saying?: “In short, claims remain historically low, consistent with the trend in employment growth remaining more than strong enough to keep the unemployment rate trending down,” said Jim O’Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.

Market reaction: The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -1.57% and S&P 500 index SPX, -1.26%were set to open higher in Thursday trades.